Aston Villa vs Sheffield United Match Thread

[ozzjim]

McGinn and Targett have been woeful, although Target put a couple of nice balls across.

I would hook Targett - on a yellow as a mate just pointed out - and stick Hourihane there second half, bring on Davis and drift Watkins left, get Jack more central.

[N'ZMAV]

Davis for Trez might be a good move.

I'd get Davis on for McGinn. Go 442. Might as well.

[Big Ming]

 Watkins wide and Davis on for Trez?

More physicality.

Whatever, we need to move the ball quicker.

[Nii Lamptey]

Agree with a few on here. Don’t understand the negativity towards Hourihane. He’s been our best midfielder this half imo, keeping things moving along 🤷🏼‍♂️

[Villatillidie1982]

The first booking was harsh but the sending off was correct because he stopped a goal scoring chance. Playing against ten by is always difficult. Patience is needed.

[TheMalandro]

Targett is abysmal. He'll be replaced, if he continues like that this season.

It's one of three areas we really should have looked to address and haven't so far this window.

And I say that as someone who can see a role for Targett in the future - either wide left of midfield or perhaps in the Stan Staunton or Barry role if we ever play three at the back. Distribution is one of his better qualities. Not today, obv.

It's not like he has a positive impact attacking, he always loses possession.

[Jon Crofts]

Someone should tell Southgate Mason Mount isn’t here tonight.

[andyh]

Oh great. Jack deciding to be shit when Southgate is there

[eamonn]

Where is PWS ? He usually lives on here. We need him.

[brontebilly]

8 corners and fuck all to show for it.

We've been shit on corners since that twat MON.

Mings never looks like getting on the end of one. Nothing wrong with the set piece deliveries either

[ktvillan]

Not sure why people are having a go at Hourihane, he's done ok for me.  Targett's looked ok going forward but as usual can't defend, but the rest of the defence were hardly brilliant for that penalty. 

Everything is going down our left because we only have Trez on the right - he may poke a few chances away but his contribution to general play is almost non-existent. 

Their big CBs are just lapping up all the crosses - maybe Davis could shake them up a bit?

We need to ping it about a lot quicker and Jack needs to lead on that. 

[exiled on the wirral!]

I know we have been pretty shit, but why Hourihane earns the scapegoat role is beyond me.

I think cutting out the Hollywood balls would be a big help in getting close to the Sheffield goal.

He's hardly getting scapegoated, he's not getting any more slagged off than anyone else.

I know we have been pretty shit, but why Hourihane earns the scapegoat role is beyond me.

I think cutting out the Hollywood balls would be a big help in getting close to the Sheffield goal.

He's hardly getting scapegoated, he's not getting any more slagged off than anyone else.

It happens every game and you know it.

[tomd2103]

I think it's important to remember this our first game apart from an easy day out at Burton. You'd expect SU to be a little sharper than us.

It's not the sharpness, it's how we're approaching the game.  Slinging crosses into the box isn't a particularly sensible tactic against Sheff Utd but that's all we seem to be able to do.

You'd think with Grealish, Luiz and McGinn in midfield spaces we'd be able to do more.

They are so compact, there is hardly any space between their midfield and defence, so we are having to side-to-side.  It's not going to be easy to break them downloading, so I think there will be a fair bit of frustration going forward, but Targett getting caught like that for the penalty was pretty awful.

[JUAN PABLO]

well I hope this makes them get the Rasica deal done

smith hasnt a clue against 10 men

and you just knew the goalie would save that

[hilts_coolerking]

I don't think playing against 10 men is quite as difficult as we routinely make it look.